Specialty Pharmacists In Demand During Staffing Shortage
Specialty pharmacies all seem to be searching for temporary staffing talent these days to help them with relief and emergency help. Experts all are able to agree that during the current pharmacy staffing shortage, specialty pharmacy positions are especially difficult to fill. This holds true for both pharmacists and technicians in basically all fifty states. From the East Coast States like Florida, New Jersey and New York, to the Southern States such as Texas and Louisiana, then finally across to California on the West Coast, there's a high and ever increasing demand for talent with the right skill sets. Basically, the owners and managers of many specialty pharmacies, from small operations to large Healthcare Systems, are finding that attracting the temp staffing talent to meet their needs has become almost like "finding a needle in a haystack".
What's Causing The High Demand For Specialty Pharmacists and Technicians?
Although the same causes that are cited for contributing to the current staffing shortage as a whole (such as the shifts in job roles resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, working extremely long hours and shifts, plus the accelerated burnout of talent that occurred) can all also be applied to the high demand for specialty pharmacists and techs. However, there are several additional factors facing the specialty segment of our profession. The following reasons may not result in a staffing shortage when viewed individually by themselves, but the combination of these additional factors, added to the challenges that all pharmacies currently are facing, results in a shortage that many think will only increase exponentially over the next five to six years.
1. The proliferation of Health Systems and Hospital Groups adding In-house Specialty Pharmacy Services -
Over the past decade, many health systems and hospitals have been adding in-house specialty pharmacy services to boost their revenues. These are also sometimes referred to as Health System Owned Specialty Pharmacies or HSSPs, and their intent is to increase revenue and then pass the potential cost savings on to both their patients and providers. This addition of in-house pharmacy services is viewed by many health systems, not as the major challenge and initial financial expense that it is, but as a necessary and long term investment that needs to be made now with the current US healthcare model in place.
This trend is increasing almost exponentially according to The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), and their recent survey results seem to supply the proof. According to the ASHP survey, approximately eight percent (8%) of all hospitals operated an in-house specialty pharmacy back in 2015. Just four years later in 2019, that number had "jumped" dramatically to over one-quarter of all hospitals having an in-house specialty pharmacy operation (26%). That's quite a significant increase of over 300% in just a four year period, and that increase is predicted to continue to rise over the next six years. When one looks at this projection for the continued proliferation of HSSPs, it's easy to see how this contributes to the challenges that all specialty pharmacies face in attracting adequate temp talent when needed.
To complicate the matter even more, many retail pharmacies have already been adding specialty drugs and services to their existing pharmacy operations in an effort to increase revenue and profitability. Plus the addition of specialty medications will allow them to be able to remain competitive in an uncertain future "landscape", whether they own and operate a single retail location, or represent a much larger pharmacy group. Once again the result is an increased challenge for all specialty pharmacies to find and attract the best candidates available when searching for temp and relief staffing talent.
2. The majority of all new drugs approved by the FDA over the past five years have been classified as specialty drugs -
Since the beginning of 2021, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a total of almost eighty new specialty drugs. These drugs are usually a part of high-cost treatment regimens, and are used in the treatment of extremely complex health conditions. In addition to the proliferation of the number of specialty pharmacy businesses across the nation, many feel that the sector's growth is primarily fueled and driven by these newly approved drugs all recently entering into the marketplace. Many of these drugs offer very large margins, provide treatments for patients who may not have had such options previously, plus presents a way for a Healthcare Group to demonstrate documentable improvement in the overall quality of care that they provide to their patients.
Along with this vast array of new specialty drugs being approved by the FDA, is the fact that some of the specialty drugs with the highest spend are about to lose their patent protection, opening the door for "biosimilar preparations" to be available. This situation will obviously also contribute to an even higher demand for staffing due to the increased competition. At least six biosimilars for Humira are projected to enter the market in 2023, and biosimilars for Stelara, Prolia, and other top specialty drugs will be following closely behind. Lastly, many manufacturers are creating new versions of drugs that once required administration by providers, but can now be self-administered by the patients themselves. This also adds to the staffing shortage by creating new job opportunities, as drugs move out of the traditional infusion center and into the specialty pharmacy.
3. Specialty Pharmacies May Require Special Skill Sets, Training, Licenses, and/or Certifications -
Many specialty pharmacy positions require a staff member to possess certain skill sets or certifications that many practitioners simply lack. This is especially true in IV infusion pharmacies and pharmacies that specialize in sterile compounding. Not only must a pharmacist be knowledgeable regarding the USP 797 rules and regulations, but they must also be proficient in using sterile technique and working within a Laminar Flow hood to perform their job duties. This is a skill that requires several months of practice for an individual to master and to become proficient in the aseptic techniques required for the job. This specialty may also require that the pharmacist be a Board Certified Sterile Compounding Pharmacist (BCSCP).
Along with Board Certified Sterile Compounding Pharmacists (BCSCP), some other examples of pharmacy specialties that may require additional State Board certifications include:
- Board Certified Critical Care Pharmacist (BCCCP)
- Board Certified Geriatric Pharmacist (BCGP)
- Board Certified Infectious Diseases Pharmacist (BCIDP)
- Board Certified Oncology Pharmacist (BCOP)
Yet another great example is Nuclear Pharmacy. Although requirements may differ between various states, using Florida as an example, an applicant must have successfully completed 500 hours of training and experience under a supervising nuclear pharmacist. Completion of this required training period excludes almost 99% of available pharmacists from being able to work in such a specialty position.
Meeting a State Board's requirements, obtaining the necessary training and certifications, and learning any new skill sets required, all help contribute to reductions in the available potential talent available for specialty pharmacies to choose from when it comes to temporary staffing and relief work. These challenges will only continue to worsen and intensify in the future if the predictions prove to be correct.
About Healthcare Consultants Pharmacy Staffing (HCC) -
The best solution available to owners and managers of specialty pharmacies when it comes to attracting the right talent to meet their temporary staffing needs is to ally with a nationally renowned pharmacy staffing agency such as HCC. For well over three decades now, HCC has been providing temporary staffing for pharmacies in all 50 states, plus providing relief pharmacy staffing during emergency situations. We work with owners and managers of every type of pharmacy business and operation, from the small independent retail community pharmacies to the large national pharmacy groups. We are therefore able to meet almost every individual pharmacy's specific needs when it comes to finding the right temporary staffing talent, including specialty pharmacies.
HCC not only services pharmacies in all fifty states in regards to their temporary staffing needs, but also offers pharmacy owners and management a wide variety of services in all types of settings, including retail, infusion, compounding, specialty, hospital, and government pharmacies. You can depend on us to present temporary employment opportunities in almost every type of pharmacy setting that you may own or manage.
If you're interested in finding out how HCC can help your pharmacy business meet your specific staffing needs, then call us today at (800) 642-1652, or simply fill out our easy-to-use online form now, and an experienced, in-house HCC staffing expert will get back to you as soon as possible.
